I Don't Recognise This Debt: What to Do If a Collector Contacts You (UK)

Why might you not recognise a debt?

There are more explanations than people expect, and most are harmless.

Step 1: Do not pay or admit anything yet

Paying a debt you do not recognise can cause problems. It may be treated as accepting the debt, and for an old debt it can restart the time limit. Do not confirm personal details to a caller either. Take their name and company, say that you will respond in writing, and end the call.

Step 2: Check who is contacting you

Look the company up on the FCA Financial Services Register and compare its address and phone number with the letter. If you cannot find it, or the details do not match, treat it as a possible scam. Our guide explains the warning signs: is this debt collection letter a scam?

Step 3: Check your credit reports

You can check your credit fileHow Credit Scores Work in the UKHow UK credit scores work: what the credit reference agencies record, what affects your score, why scores differ between agencies and what lenders actually see.Read more → for free with the main UK credit reference agenciesCredit reference agencyA credit reference agency is a company that collects information about people's borrowing and sells it to lenders. The main UK agencies are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.Read more →. Look for accounts, addresses or searches that you do not recognise. A debt that appears there is more likely to be real, although errors do happen. If you find an unknown account, note the lender's name and the date it was opened, and contact them directly.

Step 4: Dispute it in writing and ask for evidence

Send the company a short, factual letter or email. You can use wording like this:

• "I do not recognise the debt in your letter dated [date], reference [number], and I dispute that I owe it."
• "Please send me the name of the original creditor, a statement showing how the balance is made up, evidence of how the debt reached you, and a copy of the credit agreement."
• "Please stop collection activity, including calls and visits, until you have investigated and replied."

If you think it is identity fraud

Act quickly.

1. Contact the lender and tell them you did not open the account
2. Report it to Action Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101, and get a reference number
3. Check all three credit reports regularly, and consider protective registration with a fraud prevention service
4. Tell your bank, and change passwords for accounts that use the same details

Questions to ask to trace the debt

If you want to work out where a debt came from, these questions usually help.

• Who was the original creditor, and what was the product, for example a credit cardHow Credit Cards Work in the UKHow UK credit cards work: interest, APR, minimum payments, interest-free periods, fees, Section 75 protection and how to use a card without getting into debt.Read more →, loan or catalogue?
• What was the account number, and when was the account opened?
• When was the last payment made, and when did the account go into arrears?
• How did the debt reach the company that is contacting you, and when?
• What address and name does the creditor have on record for the account?

A worked example

Suppose you receive a letter in 2026 from a company you have never heard of, claiming £840 for a store card. You do not remember having one. You check your credit reports and see nothing under your name. You write to the company, ask for the agreement and statement, and say that you dispute the debt. They reply with an account opened in 2014 at an address you left in 2012. That points to mistaken identity or a similar-named person, and you can write back asking them to remove your details and confirm in writing that they will not contact you again about it. If the reports had shown an unknown account, you would instead contact the lender and report possible fraud.

Phone calls and texts about unknown debts

Scammers often use calls and texts because they put you under pressure. Do not confirm personal details to an unknown caller. Ask for the company name, hang up, and look it up yourself. A genuine collector will write to you, and will not mind. Forward suspicious texts to 7726, and report scams to Action Fraud.

Do not forget to follow up

Diarise a date two to three weeks after you send your dispute. If you have heard nothing, write again and say you are waiting for evidence. Keep every reply. If the company ignores your dispute and keeps chasing you, complain to the firm and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

What if they send evidence and it is yours?

If the evidence shows the debt is genuinely yours, you can then decide how to deal with it. Check whether it might be statute-barredStatute-Barred Debt: The Six-Year Rule and UK Time LimitsIs your debt too old to be enforced? Learn the UK time limits, what restarts the clock, how it differs from your credit file and what to do before replying.Read more → (see is my debt statute-barred?), check the amount, and then agree what you can afford. There are four main free services: MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice, StepChangeStepChange Explained: What It Does and How It WorksWhat the debt charity StepChange offers, how its free debt advice and debt management plans work, who it suits and what to expect when you contact them.Read more → and National DebtlineNational Debtline: How It Works, When to CallWhat National Debtline is, who runs it, what it can help with, how to get free advice by phone, webchat or online tools, and what to expect.Read more →. They are independent and do not charge for advice. Our guide to free debt advice charities compares them.